I like to think that I have a pretty good memory. I amaze my family at times, because of everything I can remember going back as far as 3 or 4 years old! I can remember all sorts of crazy things. And, yes, I also remember some of the bad things, too. You really can’t have one without the other.

I can remember things like my Gramps and Nannie taking me fishing up to the 1000 Islands. Gramps would try to get out of the cabin about 6 am every morning only to have me wake up and say, You going fishing, Gramps? And so he would wait for me for the few minutes it would take me to get dressed. After we’d been fishing about 2 or 3 hours, he would look at me and ask me if I thought Nannie had breakfast started for us yet. We would get back to the cabin and she would start breakfast-I always had such a good time with them.

I can remember getting the pony, Tyke. My Dad bought him from someone just around the corner. So, Mom and I drove home, and Daddy walked Tyke all the way home. It was a sight to see as we waited for Dad to show up. He looked like he was taking my pony for a walk!! And we can’t forget the story of getting a phone call one afternoon on a weekend. Our neighbor was suggesting we get Tyke, who was in his yard eating grass. He had gotten out of his fenced in area-it was almost an acre of land that it was on. He jumped over the fencing. And proceeded to run down Atlantic Ave (in Rochester, NY), chasing a man driving a VW car. Poor guy pulled off onto someone’s lawn. So here was Dad, walking our pony like a dog again up Atlantic Ave. to his fenced in area. The next day, we made it into an electric fence that just did the trick.

I was getting older, there were deaths in the family, as well as births. There were vacations, and meeting people, and growing up little by little. It was watching the world go by, and knowing I was a part of it, but being so shy, that I couldn’t relate to people at all well. And still, remembering, my Aunt Kate dying. Our old dog Pierre, dying, and deciding we needed another dog right away. Getting Winston Devon, a miniature Schnauzer, who really didn’t like me all that well. Having a boyfriend I had met at a campground, making new friends at these campgrounds, playing my guitar and singing at a talent show at the campground. Learning how to Square Dance. So many memories.

Onward to meeting my first husband. Getting married, moving to Houston, Texas for almost a year. Getting to see my Aunt Dottie almost every weekend, doing some traveling while we were down there. Coming home and a few weeks later, traveling over to Denmark and England for 3 weeks. Coming home from there and settling into everyday life! Getting pregnant, and having a miscarriage. Getting pregnant just 3 weeks later, Hello, Denise, 18 months later, Hello Susie, and finally 3 years later, Hello Paul. And then, Hello, Done!!!

A divorce, and another marriage. A marriage I thought would last forever-it didn’t. Another divorce. Another relationship starting and still going strong, almost 14 years later. I think I finally got it right! Love you, Joe!

In between all those times, the births, the deaths, the endings and beginnings. Meeting new people, letting old people go, all these memories. When you think about it, we are our memories. Think of someone with amnesia, they don’t know who they are, can’t remember anything or anyone. It is like starting with a brand new slate. But here all the rest of us are, our slates are crammed full-some good, some bad memories. But they are what makes us human. We hopefully learn from our past mistakes and even learn from the good times. We are a sum of our memories. Some of us had a great upbringing, others didn’t. We learn from our past. But we can also learn from our present. Everyday is a quest for knowledge of sorts. Sometimes small-like how to spell something, and then sometimes big-if we buy this house, with the interest, how much will we be spending totally.

Take time in your life to remember the old times. Remember the times with your Mom and Dad that were good, and the times with Grandparents. Family, friends, remember those times. I remember my best friend Judy Sue always being there for me in my times of sadness, and the really good times too-and the funny zany times. We are still best friends after 57 years. And I have all those memories over that span of time-98% of those times were really good memories, but, hey, we had to have our 2% of spats.

Think of what memories have made you what you are today, realize that we help make memories for others too. So, let’s start making good memories, for ourselves, our family, loved ones, friends, even our pets. Let’s put ourselves forward and become a positive force in everyone’s life. Let’s continue making the positive memories so that at some later date, in our later years, we will think of these memories and smile and maybe even laugh.

I know it’s been awhile since I’ve written in this blog-ok-a long while, but there has been a lot going on for the past year or so. That said, I wasn’t sure what to write about. Have you ever had so much going on in your head, you just couldn’t slow it down enough to pick just one topic? So, when I had recently thought about what I could write, it was hard to pick just one thing. So, I decided to write about many-just like my mind is going.

Let’s go back in time, to Thanksgiving, 2013. I don’t know about you, but I had a great time that day, spent the day over to Denise and Dave’s house for the holiday. I got to play with my Granddaughter Abby, and got to speak to Denise’s pregnant belly, telling Lil Roy, that his crazy Grandma could hardly wait to meet him. A good time was had by all, and then the next day,I did Thanksgiving over at my house for the rest of the family.

That would be black Friday-the time when so many people are crazy about getting out at 4 am and getting the best sales they could find. I used to work Black Friday, so I know how crazy it is. I almost always asked to close, because by then, it was a little less hectic.

According to a website called blackfridaydeathcount.com, there were 7 deaths, and 90 injuries. Wow, and all just to save a few dollars. There had been a news article about a woman stabbing 3 people to death with a screwdriver. According to Snopes.com, it was a fake news article put out by a satirical newspaper. But to have 7 deaths, wow! I just don’t know. We all like to save money, but let’s not be violent about it.

As Christmas approached, things were pretty calm around here. Until December 12, 2013. Lil Roy was born! Denise had Lil Roy so quickly, that none of the Grandparents were at the hospital! We were all so happy. I went up that evening to say hello to the littlest Hill!

Then here comes Christmas, about a week before, here comes the flu-I got it first-cold, cough, sore throat, and pink eye. I tried so hard to be careful, but Joe still got it from me. Same exact symptoms! To the doctor we went, got our antibiotics and what not, and settled in doing our best to take of each other. Then my folks got it, everything, but the pink eye, thank goodness. Needless to say, we stayed home on Christmas Day instead of going over the the Hill House!

It took until January of 2014 to see Lil Roy. But we finally made it over! And this Crazy Grandma was happy to see both of her Grandchildren. Pictures should be posted to Facebook with in the next week.

New Years Eve, Joe and I shared a very quiet evening, managing to stay up to ring in the New Year. I had made calls to my kids way before midnight. From what I heard, the 2 younger ones had a very good time.

All in all, things have been running somewhat smoothly. We’re looking forward to what awaits us in 2014. This is going to be a positive year for us, because we are going to make it that way. I’m going to do my best this year to make every minute count. I will be seeing my friends more, I will make sure that Joe and I do a lot of things together-fun things. I will spend more time with my kids. I am going to redecorate the house to some degree-the dog has already helped me to do that. Her Living Room Blanket looks lovely with her bones, and other things laying on it. She has such potential as an Interior Design person-um-dog.